Fantasy Tip: Shields is being counted on to serve as the ace of a much-improved Padres team and should see his numbers improve in a pitcher-friendly National League park. He will likely be selected in the early rounds of fantasy drafts due to his durability and walk-to-strikeout ratio.

San Diego Padres SP James Shields never received a five-year, $110 million contract offer, according to his agent, Page Odle. The report of said offer was called "inaccurate and a fabrication" by Odle, and he went on to mention that Shields received offers ranging from three to five years before accepting the Padres' offer of a four-year, $75 million contract.

San Diego Padres SP James Shields will make $10 million this year and $63 million over the next three seasons plus a $2 million buyout in a 2019 option, according to a source. His deal doesn't include a no-trade clause.

San Diego Padres SP James Shields threw the most pitches (4,080) in the major leagues last season, including through the Kansas City Royals' postseason run to the World Series. However, Shields' velocity remains intact; he averaged a fastball velocity of 92.5 mph last season, which was up from 90.9 in 2011.